Sewing machine presser-foot



J. P. ENOS SEWING MACHINE PRESSER-FOOT Sept. 15, 1953 Filed March 9, 1951 INVENTUB ahu @nos ATTORNEY WITNESS Patented Sept. 15, 1953 SEWING MACHINE PRESSER-FOO John P. Enos, Union, N. J., assigner to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 9, 1951, Serial No. 214,677

3 claims. (cl. i12-.235.)

This invention relates to a presser-foot for sewing machines and has as an object to provide an improved presser-foot which is equally well adapted for use on work which is of uniform thickness and on work of uneven thickness at the opposite sides of the line of stitch formation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved presser-foot which provides Yan edge guide at the side of the line of seam formation.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved presser-foot having relatively mov able sole plates wherein free movement of the sole plates is assured.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the construction, combinations, and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred form of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the ad vantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a left side elevation of the improved presser-foot attached to a sewing machine.

Fig. 2 is a right side elevation of the improved presser-foot attached to a sewing machine presser-bar.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the improved presser-foot attached to a sewing machine presser-bar.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the improved presser-foot taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the improved presser-foot.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the improved presser-foot is shown attached to a sewing machine having the usual arm mounted on a bed I0 and terminating in a head II. The improved presser-foot, indicated generally as I2, is fastened to a presser-bar I3 carried by the head II, by means of a fastening screw I4. The presser-foot I2 keeps the material I5, to be sewn, engaged with the teeth of a feed-dog I6 operating through the opening in a conventional throat plate I'I. The feed-dog is operated by a conventional sewing machine mechanism, not shown, which mechanism also drives the needle 9.

The presser-foot I2 comprises a shank I8 which is shaped to t the lower end of the presser-bar I3 in a conventional manner, as shown in Fig. 1. Two parallel ears I3 and 20 depend from the shank to form supporting 2 y means for a pivot pin 2l. The side faces of the right ear 20, as viewed in Fig. 3, are smooth and parallel to form guide surfaces for one of the presser-foot sole plates. Two sole plates 22 and 23 are pivoted on the pivot pin 2| in side by side relation by means of their respective mounting lugs 24 and 25. The right sole plate 23, as viewed in Fig. 3, is provided with a vertically elongated journal hole 26 so that the sole plate 23 can move vertically with respect to the shank and the left sole plate. A small coil compression spring 21 is seated in sockets 28 and 29 formed in the shank and the right sole plate mounting lug 25, respectively. The spring is located in front of the pivot pin so that the toc of the sole plate is urged downwardly. The work-engaging portion of theleft sole plate 22 extends across the entire distance between the two ears I9 and 20 and below the right sole plate mounting lug 25 and serves as a stop for the right sole plate. The work-engaging portion of theright sole plate 23 extends to the right of the work-engaging portion of the left sole plate and normally the work-engaging surfaces of these portions lie in different planes, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. A guide member 30 extends vertically above the work-engaging surface of the right sole plate 23. This guide member has a smooth, plane surface which bears against the outer surface of the right ear 20. The right sole plate mounting lug 25 also has a smooth, plane surface which bears against the inner surface of the right ear 20. Thus the right sole plate 23 is guided by these smooth surfaces in its motion about and relatively to the pivot pin 2l.

Referring specifically to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the presser-foot may be used to sew materials of different thicknesses as indicated at I5. Under these conditions, the left edge of the right sole plate 23 functions as an edge guide for the top layer of material. Since the thickness of the material may vary widely, it is necessary for the right sole plate 23 to be able to move vertically with respect to the left sole plate 22 and the shank I8. This vertical motion is permitted by the elongated hole 26. The spring 21 keeps the right sole plate pressed firmly against the work. Both of the sole plates can pivot about the pivot pin 2| in the usual manner. The extreme width of the left sole plate 22 makes it necessary to support the right sole plate 23 on the pivot pin in cantilever fashion. As the right sole plates moves up and down to compensate for the varying thicknesses of material, a sole plate without the guide member 30 will twist and jam between the left sole plate mounting lug 24 and the right ear 20. This prevents free action of both of the sole plates and results in very unsatisfactory operation. However, in my improved presser-foot, the guide member 30 and the mounting lug 25 form thesides of a guide slot for the right ear 20. Since the Aear 20 is the correct width to slide smoothly in the slot, the right sole plate 23 can move freely in a vertical direction and can also pivot freely about the pivot pin 2l but it cannot twist and jam between the left sole plate mounting lug 25 and the right earI 20.

Thus, free action of the sole plates is lassured at p all times.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invenI tion, what I claim is:

1. A sewing machine presser-foot r having a shank, parallel ears depending from said shank,

defining the sides of 4a slot, said ear being positioned between and yin sliding engagement with said guide and bearing surfaces, a pivot pin secured in said parallel ears and passing through Isaidjournal hole and a second suole plate pivotally mounted on Asaid pin and having a work-engaging portion extending beneath the entire width of said mounting lug of the first mentioned sole Plate.

2. A sewing machine presser-foot having a shank, two Parallel ears depending from said shank, one of said ears having two parallel opposite faces, a pivot pin extending between and carried by said ears, two sole plates movable rela- -tive to each other, each of said sole plates having a mounting lug carried by said pivot pin and a work-engaging portion, the work-engaging portion of one of said sole plates extending under the entire mounting lug of the other sole plate, said other sole plate having a guide member extending directly above its work-engaging portion 'and a bearing face on its mounting lug parallel to said guide member, said bearing face and said guide member being in bearing engagement, respectivelywith the opposite parallel faces of said one ear, whereby tilting of said other sole plate is preyent'e'd,

3. A sewing machine presser-foot having a shank, two parallel ears depending from said shank, one of said ears having two parallel opposite faces, a pivot pin extending between and carried by said ears, two sole plates movable relative y to each other, each sole plate having a mounting lug carried by said pivot pinhand a 'workengaging portion,lth'e worke'ngag'ing 'portion of one of said sole plates extending under ,the entire lmounting lug of the other sole plate, a spring rengaging said shank and the mounting lug of said other sole plate in front of said pivot, pin to urge the toe of said sole plate downwardly, Vsaid other sole plate having a guide member extend-'- ing directly above its workengaging portion and a bearing faceon its mounting lug parallel to said guide member, said bearing face and said guide member being in bearing engagement, respectively, with the oppo'siteparallel faces of said one ear, whereby tilting of said other sole plate is prevented.

`JOHN P. ENOS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Datel v'122,647 Woodward Mar. 1o, 1903I 2,487,285 Volgt NOV. 8, 1949 

